Drill Press chuck question

Did anyone try both Plain Bearing and Ball Bearing drill press chucks and can share his thoughts? Are BB chucks really worth the difference in price?

Thanks, Alex

Reply to
Alex
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My favorite chuck (and I have been through a bunch) is a Jacobs 3A plain chuck. It's real close to dead nuts on, doesn't slip on bits throughout its whole range, and just plain works great.

Supposedly the 16N (the ball bearing equivalent) tightens down better, but I always - ALWAYS - turn the key in all 3 holes, and the bits don't slip for me.

GWE

Reply to
Grant Erwin

I'm confident Grant is quite right.

And this is really not a response to your question at all!

Far and away my favorite chucks are the 1/2" Keyless chucks. I scored an Albrecht at a flea market, and have purchased two new Jacobs versions from J&L when they are on sale. I'm sure they are not the end-all for everybody, but it's a very rare moment when I switch back to a keyed chuck, or even think about it.

Alex said the following on 1/4/2006 2:13 PM:

Reply to
John Hofstad-Parkhill

According to John Hofstad-Parkhill :

Except when you need to run a left-hand drill bit (if your drill press happens to be reversible). For that, most keyless chucks will release very quickly under cutting load.

Enjoy, DoN.

Reply to
DoN. Nichols

The up side to a BB chuck is that the actuation is MUCH smoother, the down side is that for a given size they are about %50 bigger in diameter. I have both and ocassionaly use both, my 1/2 is BB and I LOVE it, my 5/8 is plaine and it works... Like Grant I was taught to ALWAYS use the key in all three holes and even do that on the BB..

If you have a Milling maching you'll probably use a much smaller chuck for the under 1/4 inch bits and then use turned shank bits and a collet on the bigger ones... Long ago I used to think turned shanks were for people who couldn't afford a big chuck (or were using an oversized bit in a wimpy hand drill) then I got my first mill drill with collets and realized what a turned shank was all about... Now on my BP with power downfeed I KNOW what a turned shank is for :-)

FWIW I can usually get by with using a collet even on the smaller bits, just depends on how much you want to 'spring' or compress a not quite exact fit of shank size to collet...

All my better bits above 1/4 have turned shanks and I even have a few of my bigger bits (1 inch range) in MT for the tailstock on my lathe... It's my lathe that I wind up using chucks much more than I do on my BP. Some day I'll be rich enough to afford a better lathe with collets for the tail stock too. :-))

--.- Dave

Reply to
Dave August

They are worth it. Check Ebay for amazing deals.

Reply to
tomcas

Yes, although they are bigger, as was pointed out, which can sometimes be a problem.

Reply to
ATP*

or try to tap with a keyless chuck......

Gunner

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Reply to
Gunner

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